The Bride of the Ice God
by Lady SVI
Summary: /GraLu/ All we did was touch hands! But somehow that resulted in me, Lucy Heartfilia, a mortal girl, being the bride to the Ice God, Gray Fullbuster.
1. Sacrifice

_**Hey guys, this is a new story, and with the permission of writer4everr, she allowed me to use her plot to help make more GraLu stories! I'll probably change the wording, but all credit goes to her for the plot. So before you say "oh, you took this person's story" just read this:**_

_**Fairy Tail doesn't belong to me and none of the characters either, sadly. AND THE PLOT BELONGS TO WRITER4EVERR. I ASKED HER IF I COULD USE THIS PLOT AND SHE SAID ****YES****! **_

_**Enjoy! :)**_

* * *

**The Bride of the Ice God**

**Chapter One: Sacrifice**

* * *

_Hargeon._

_ It was once a flourishing port of Fiore. It was well maintained and one of the oldest yet beautiful towns of the country. It was prosperous and known for its fishing. Fisherman came every day to the harbor with fresh, beautiful fish. They were of various colors and species that only resided in Hargeon's waters. Not only were they pretty; they had the most exquisite taste. This helped the town become famous worldwide for their luxurious dishes. Merchants would sail from distant lands to come and trade special items for fish. It was a booming town, so lively, cheerful, and international._

_ But…_

_ It was during a certain winter where everything went wrong. _

_ Hargeon usually had mild winters, but that year the sky clouded over and temperatures dropped below freezing, and that's when it started to snow._

_ At first, the townspeople awed at the white blanket gently lying on the ground. Children laughed and played in the snow, throwing snowballs, building snowmen… It wasn't until two days later when a blizzard struck the town late in the evening. The blizzard frosted the town and eventually froze the entire harbor. Not just the harbor but also the sea itself._

_ Hargeon's famed fishing came to a stop. _

_ Boats and ports became abandoned, fishermen became unemployed, and the main food source of Hargeon died and their source of trade vanished as well. The people decided to focus on agriculture, but the weather never helped. One day they'd have hope of growth, but the next day the ground would be iced over and destroy the plantations. _

_ Children were the first to start dying. _

_ The townspeople became desperate for warmth and to see the sun again; they wished for the cold ice to disappear. They began to pray everyday to the Ice God and the Fire God, but it was in vain. The ice didn't disappear and the sun never fully shone through the grey clouds. Hargeon stayed a winter wonderland._

_ It was then decided they visit the town's shaman._

_ The shaman conducted his spiritual ritual to connect with the gods. Successful, he reappeared in the town square the next day to share what he saw and heard._

_ "You have angered the Ice God," he said. "Appease him."_

_ This unsettled the townspeople because it meant only one thing – a sacrifice._

_ However, they eventually agreed they'd choose a maiden to sacrifice for the Ice God's wrath. The elders held a town meeting, and they chose the most beautiful maiden who would be able to soothe the Ice God's wrath. The maiden accepted her fate without hesitation and agreed to become the sacrifice to help save the town. It only made sense after all. _

_Sacrifice one to save many._

* * *

"Lucy Heartfilia."

My chest constricted as my name resounded throughout the town square. Curious yet relieved glances looked my way from other maidens my around my age. The crowd dispersed and made way for me to reach the center of the square, but I remained rooted to my spot in silent disbelief and fear, my heart pounding in my chest and thundering in my ears.

I was the chosen maiden.

Realization dawned upon me as time ticked away.

_I _was the sacrifice. _I _was chosen to be the sacrifice to the Ice God.

My mind wandered back in time. I remembered the myths about this god. There were several: some said he was a ferocious demon while others said he was a handsome dragon. I didn't know what to believe, but I just accepted my fate. Maybe I should've protested against it, but it wasn't like I had a say in it.

A nudge forward snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked behind me and saw my father motion me forward while my mother couldn't look at me. She looked like she was about to cry. It wasn't until her tears fell when my fear disappeared.

I loved both my parents so much, and for them to live I had to go. No, not just for them, I realized as I gazed around, briefly seeing familiar faces. But for everyone…

Turning my back to my parents, I walked to the shaman and elders in the center of the square with submission and determination. As I stepped onto the platform, the town cheered in both appreciation and relief.

I let the shaman take me by the hand. We walked off with the whole town in tow as we entered the outskirts of Hargeon into The Encased Forest. It was called that because the whole forest was covered in ice. The pine needles that used to be green were now a whitish/bluish color, as well as the trunks. It was cold and depressing because it lost so much life, yet there was a certain beauty to it, especially when the sun rarely peaked through the clouds. The entire forest would glitter and sparkle to life.

The shaman stopped as we reached The Sacred Lake. It was the only body of water around for miles that wasn't frozen since it was divine. When I took my first step into it I was surprised by how lukewarm it was. I walked further in, soaking my kimono. About waist deep, I stopped.

At this point the shaman began chanting, getting progressively louder as he went on. Near the end is when the incantations started to kick in. The serene lake suddenly started churning, and eventually starting swirling around my body, encircling me completely. The clear water began to shine brilliantly, and my body became as heavy as led. I still felt and heard everything, but in the end my body shut down as if I were sleeping. That was when my body felt feather light. In that instant, I was transported to the land of the gods.

* * *

I heard the receding hiss of waves before I opened my eyes. The familiar yet foreign sound had me instantly bolt upright and flash my eyes open. I was left breathless by what I saw.

There was sand everywhere around me. The setting sun hit it and gave it an orange tint as well as casting a beautiful glow to the body of water near me. The ocean was bright blue, and I could see all the majestic fish, which reminded me…

I was no longer in Hargeon, but in the supernatural world.

"You okay?" a smooth, deep voice asked with slight amusement.

I flinched in surprise because I never expected anyone to be near me. I whirled around, startled, and rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

An insanely gorgeous man looking around my age sat languidly on the sand. His fingers playfully curled into the soft, silky surface as he gazed at me. He had hypnotic dark blue eyes and spiky raven locks that sent off a mysterious aura about him. He was sporting a simple navy blue kimono, but it was enough to tell me he had status. It was open a bit to show off his toned chest, and I had to make sure I wasn't drooling. And as if that wasn't enough, his smirk just about killed me.

"W-Who are you?!" I demanded, scrambling backwards to distance myself from the hot stranger. My logic immediately crossed out god because as I child I was told to believe their were more…demonic than humanely.

"You're a mortal, aren't you?"

I nodded.

He tsked and stood up. "A mortal isn't worth my time."

My brow twitched as I glared at him. Screw his godly beauty. Who the hell did this guy think he was?!

"Fine then," I gritted out as stood up and turned my back to him. "I'm just looking for the Ice God, so if you could kindly point to the direction where I could find him I'd be forever grateful."

Suddenly, I could feel his eyes looking at me with a new intensity.

"What do you want with the Ice God?"

I turned back to face him.

"He's a busy man you know," he informed. His eyes met mine, and I instantly felt my cheeks heating up as well as my temper.

"Obviously so busy being 'upset' that he can't even control from freezing an entire town," I snarled. "What kind of Ice God is he anyway?"

"You're a sacrifice, aren't you?"

I shivered at how…cold and serious his voice sounded. The playful hint in his eyes was gone and replaced with an unreadable yet critical expression.

"Why else would a 'mortal' be here?" I replied rhetorically.

"Those damn mortals," he muttered under his breath. "I keep telling them…" He sighed tiredly grabbing my arm. "Let's go."

I cringed from his tight grip and tried to escape from his grasp. My attempt failed, so he continued to drag me across the beach. I buried my heels into the soft sand, but I was still being easily dragged away to wherever the guy was taking me.

"Wait a damn second! I don't even know you, so how can I even trust you?!"

He stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at me once again. Probably seeing the terror in my eyes, he ran his free hand through his raven hair in exasperation.

"Look," he said, "I can get you back home, so just shut up and follow me."

"But…Hargeon is still…"

"Right," he exhaled with a roll of his eyes. "I'll focus on that later. Let's go."

And he began pulling me again.

Instead of making it harder on both of us, I just decided to walk beside him, but since he was much taller than me – my head only met his chest – I had to sometimes jog to catch up to his long, graceful strides. In a matter of few minutes, we approached a bustling, marvelous city. I couldn't help but give a pained smile because it reminded me of how my home used to be before the ice. My sad, nostalgic expression changed into one of shock and awe as I gazed upon a gigantic palace in the background of the city. I swallowed nervously, realizing that was probably where the Ice God resided, but the beautiful sights entranced me, so my anxiety dropped.

We turned here and there at some streets until we eventually came upon a cozy house. The man let go of my arm to knock on the door, and I took that chance to readjust my simple pink kimono to at least make myself look presentable even though I was absolutely drenched from head to toe.

The heavy wooden door swung open to reveal a beautiful brunette woman. Her wavy brown hair was tied in a loose bun with a few strands framing her face perfectly. Her kimono was of autumn colors with beautiful designs; it was a bit skimpy, but it suited her well. Her revealing neckline showed a beautiful tattoo of grapevines on her collarbone, which traveled down to her wrist. She glanced at me with curious purple eyes, but then turned her attention to the man.

"My Lord," she greeted with a respectful bow.

I frowned then glanced at the raven-haired man. My earlier observation of his kimono was correct then. He was of royalty.

"They sent another sacrifice," he said, pushing me forward. "I need you to send her back."

The woman glared at him. "That takes time. I can't just whip up that transportation potion in a few minutes."

"I told the mortals to stop sending sacrifices down here, but they just don't listen. I want her out of here before the banquet. I know you can get her back before then, Cana."

Cana paused and looked at me before finally conceding. "All right, but you owe me for this."

Now it was her turn to grab me by the arm. Before she was about to pull me inside, I gazed back at the man. After the trouble of trying to help me I still didn't know who he was.

"Wait!" I called. My hand shot out and grabbed his.

His eyes widened with surprise, but a blinding light flashed before I could say anything. It was so bright I had to squint and look away, but I could tell that the light was emanating from the contact of our hands. It was then when I felt something slithering around my wrist. I tried to yank it back, but it was as if someone had tied our hands together.

What the hell was happening?!

I glanced at the man's face to see it filled with shock while Cana's was of disbelief. I guessed that what just happened was not supposed to occur.

The slithering around wrist finally came to a stop, and I detached myself. I felt a burning sensation on my skin, which caused me to cradle my arm and hiss in pain. When it subsided, I was finally able to stand properly yet shakily.

"W-What was that?" I asked, bewildered. I peered at my wrist and was confused to see a tattoo in the shape of a crescent moon etched onto my skin.

"Cana," he growled, "don't tell me I just bonded with her…"

Cana's mouth was agape. Her mouth tried to form words, but nothing came out. She shook her head, incredulous.

"It's rare for this to happen, but you did…" she whispered in amazement.

"Bonded?" I repeated.

I was beyond confused at this point. I was sent to the land of the gods to be a sacrifice, met a mysterious guy and girl, and then just randomly bonded to Cana's handsome friend. And what exactly did they mean by _bond_?

"No…" he muttered, shaking his head. "I'll have to talk to Natsu or Levy about this. It's just not possible." He looked at Cana. "Take her to the palace and hand her into Lisanna's care. I'll deal with her later."

Cana nodded, and the man already disappeared just as I blinked. Mystified, I turned to Cana.

"What just happened?" I asked numbly.

She rolled her eyes. "Mortals take such a long time to adjust." She sighed. "Well, I'm Cana Dreyar, resident Goddess of Wine in Magnolia."

"Magnolia," I recurred.

"The city of the gods."

So that's what this place was called. I shook my head. Focus Lucy!

"What's bonding?"

"Bonding is the supernatural tie between two beings. It makes the people more attuned to each other's emotions, thoughts, and such. It's triggered by hand contact, you could say. However, bonding is totally spontaneous. It can happen before or after any romantic attraction. Basically bonding marks you as his bride or partner," Cana explained, as if she were reciting a dictionary.

"His bride?" I echoed. "Wait... Are you kidding me?!"

"No, bonding is a serious matter."

"But I-I don't even know him. I just came here to talk to the Ice God to try to convince him–"

Cana cut me off with the raise of her hand. "You mean to tell me you really have no idea who that man was?"

"Am I…supposed to?"

She sighed. "That was Gray Fullbuster."

My eyes widened, and I felt my jaw drop.

Cana nodded. "Exactly."

"You mean to tell me that I bonded with the–"

"Ice God." Cana lifted up my wrist. "This," she pointed to my crescent moon tattoo, "marks you as his bride."

* * *

_**Well, here's a new GraLu story for you guys to enjoy :)**_

_**Hope you like it!**_


	2. The Realm of the Gods

_**Fairy Tail doesn't belong to me and none of the characters either, sadly. AND THE PLOT BELONGS TO WRITER4EVERR. I ASKED HER IF I COULD USE THIS PLOT AND SHE SAID ****YES****!**_

_**Enjoy! :)**_

* * *

**The Bride of the Ice God**

**Chapter Two: The Realm of the Gods**

* * *

My thoughts were a jumbled and incoherent mess as Cana patiently led me to the palace. It took us quite a while to get going after she told me I was Gray's so called bride. I remember standing and staring stupidly at the wine goddess for a minute before finally registering everything that happened upon my arrival to Magnolia.

I was bonded _to the Ice God_.

From there, I vented my frustration and fear for a good five minutes before bowing and apologizing to Cana, who oh-so patiently listened with a glass of wine in hand. She handed me the goblet telling me to drink. I complied with hesitation, and the next minute I was docile and at peace.

I silently glared at Cana's back for giving me some concoction of some sort. Despite the fact that it calmed me down, my thoughts were nowhere near calm. The wine goddess only chuckled and sipped from an actual glass of wine to mock me.

I felt my brow twitch.

Before I could come up with some kind of retort, I collided into her back as she stopped.

"We're here," she announced.

I peered around her shoulder and gazed at the palace before me. My eyes widened in amazement.

An enormous, crystalline palace stood before me in front of even bigger glacial mountains. The bright Magnolia sun illuminated the palace and hit the crystal surface, causing it to glimmer and sparkle with flashes of multicolored light. Brief twinkles of rainbow light would shine off the palace and sporadically light up the surrounding nature.

A soft smile graced my lips as a nostalgic feeling settled in my stomach. It reminded me of The Encased Forest. I was only there a few hours ago, but it already felt as if it had been years since I had walked through and admired its unique winter beauty.

"So, what do you think?" Cana grinned.

"I'm…staying here?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yup, as will I," she said. "I usually stay in that cozy house you first met me at, but I have a room in the palace as well."

I raised a brow. "You have your own room?"

She shrugged. "It's very common for many gods and goddesses to visit each other's palaces. As of right now, the Fire God and the Lightning God are currently residing here. I think the Goddess of War also came by earlier today. I also believe the Goddess of Knowledge is here as well."

My response was a blank stare.

Cana laughed at me, shaking her head before pulling me along.

We approached the large gate, and that's when I first noticed two women standing guard on either side. They immediately advanced toward us. Both wore elegant yet moveable ice blue kimonos, and instead of faces they had masks in the form of some animal. I presumed it was some sort of battle garment that would allow them to comfortably fight when the time came.

"Lady Cana, we didn't realize you'd be back before sunset," one said.

"Well, I have to keep Lord Laxus in check, don't I?" Cana smiled smugly. "Plus, Lord Gray put me in charge of the banquet. Speaking of Gray, we ran into a little complication." She gestured to me.

Their heads snapped to my direction. Even though they had masks, I still felt their curious and penetrating stares, and because of it I could only manage a weak smile and slight bow in greeting.

"Um…hi."

"She's a mortal," they hissed simultaneously. "Mortals are not permitted within the Ice Palace."

Cana's eyes glinted dangerously. She roughed grabbed my hand and pulled down my damp sleeve, exposing my crescent moon tattoo. Instantly, the female guards gazed at my wrist, and one of them gasped. They immediately stood aside and opened the gates before bowing deeply in apology.

"Please proceed Lady Cana, we apologize for our rudeness," they said.

Cana ushered me forward with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that. There's a bit of prejudice towards mortals here, as you can see."

"And you? You don't have a problem with me being a mortal?" I ventured.

Cana chuckled and shook her head. "Heavens, no. Granted humans can be stupid, but so can immortals, right?"

With that, the wine goddess walked ahead of me to the giant double door to the entrance of the palace. I hurriedly walked in step with her not to be left inside. We entered through the giant doors, and suddenly we were inside.

As if the outside wasn't enough, the inside was just phenomenal.

The floors were made of marble and glistened under the lighting of the bright chandeliers. Everything, the walls, the vases, the carpet, etc., were all beautifully designed to fit the theme of "Ice Palace". There was a grand spiral staircase that led up to the other levels of the palace, which I had to crane my neck up to see. It was absolutely breathtaking, almost as if I were in a dream.

Cana only giggled at my reaction.

That snapped me back to reality.

Cana looked only a year maybe two older than me, but she was a _goddess. _She was immortal, but it made me wonder how long she had been around.

"How old are you?" I blurted.

"I guess it can't be helped," she sighed. "I'm nine hundred sixty-three years old."

"Wow…"

"Hey, that's nothing compared to the old geezers!"

I laughed.

Cana puffed her cheeks out, slightly red. "What's so funny? I am not old!"

"Nothing, nothing. Just found it ironic, really."

"I suppose it is for a mortal," Cana smiled. "Well, we don't have time to waste. Follow me."

We traveled across the foyer to the spiral staircase.

"Lisanna!" Cana called.

Almost immediately, a girl came running down the stairs to meet us. She was cute girl around my age (at least looked like it) and had short white hair ending just above her shoulders. Her eyes were a beautiful crystal blue, and the kimono she wore only helped accentuate them. Unlike the female guards, her kimono was more formal and was littered with white flowers with a particular silver obi, which no other maid had.

Lisanna bowed deeply to Cana and I.

"Welcome," she chimed out as she rose, accompanied by a beautiful soft smile.

"Oh come on, Lisanna!" Cana scolded. "You don't have to do all that formal crap with me! We're practically sisters, aren't we?"

Lisanna blushed in embarrassment while gesturing to me. "But there's someone else in our presence…" she trailed off.

I smiled at her and attempted a graceful bow only for it to end up awkwardly because of my damp clothes. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

Lisanna grinned brightly in return. "Lady Lucy, you are very beautiful indeed," she complimented. Her voice then lowered. "Are you a sacrifice?"

I nodded. "Well, yes, I suppose I was but…

"Lord Gray does not accept sacrifices," Lisanna said, a bit puzzled. "Your town must be desperate to resort to this. Alas, Lord Gray has been in a foul mood lately."

"Yes, but things have changed," Cana pitched in. "Lucy's bound to Gray now, and he told me to put you in her care."

Lisanna smiled. "I would be honored to care for the Bride of the Ice God."

I raised my hands defensively. "Hold up, I never agreed to this bride stuff!" I protested.

Lisanna's brows scrunched down. "But the fates have ordained that you and Lord Gray be tied together."

"But I don't even know him! I just met him!"

Cana sighed tiredly. "Lucy, you're stuck here. So at least just go along with it. We'll provide you food and shelter. We're not planning to dice you up and eat you so relax. You're lucky that you even bonded. Lisanna over here is having trouble bonding to the man she–MMPH!"

Lisanna swiftly clasped a hand over Cana's mouth. "Forget what she said. It was nothing important," she weakly said, slowly removing her hand from Cana's mouth. "How about I show you to your room?"

She pulled me up along the stairs. I looked behind at Cana, but she only gave an encouraging smile. We went up the stairs so fast that in a matter of minutes we reached our destination, which probably wasn't even the top.

I kept on walking, never realizing Lisanna stopped, and smacked right into her back. She turned around and bowed.

"Pardon me, Lady Lucy, but I haven't properly introduced myself," she said before beaming. "I'm Lisanna Strauss, head handmaiden at Ice Palace. I'm in charge of taking care of all that goes around here, and visitors are my specialty."

"Strauss?" I echoed. "Sounds vaguely familiar."

"You've probably heard of my sister then, Mirajane Strauss. She's became a goddess some time ago."

"You can _become _a goddess?"

"Yes," Lisanna nodded. "My sister used to be the head handmaiden, but she bonded with Freed Justine, the God of Inscription, so her status rose to that of a goddess."

"What did she become the goddess of?" I asked curiously.

"Death."

I shivered as we continued down a hallway.

"Oh yeah, Lisanna?"

"Yes?"

"How can I clear up all this bonding business?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Unfortunately, I'm not an expert in that. You'll have to ask Cana or Lady Levy about that."

"Lady Levy?"

"The Goddess of Knowledge."

Lisanna paused in surprise, and luckily this time I didn't crash into her back. I stepped beside her and looked to see why she stopped. My breath caught into my throat.

A handsome spiky pink-haired man was approaching us. The closer he came the more I was able to make out his features. He contained eyes of onyx, and his hair effortlessly swept over his eyes. Like Gray earlier, his man had a kimono loose at the top to reveal his toned chest, but instead of the color blue it was black with nice red, orange, and yellow designs and embroidery like fire. To sum it all up, he was hot.

His eyes spotted us and a lopsided grin spread on his lips.

There was something about him. His aura was warm and open and much lighter than that of Gray's. The man I was bonded with was mysterious and…cold.

Lisanna quickly yet gracefully bowed and greeted the man. "Ah, Lord Natsu! I wasn't aware you were about. I apologize for my carelessness."

Natsu shook his head. "It's fine, Lisanna. I was just going out for a quick breather." He looked at me, and I barely suppressed a yelp from the fiery stare. "And who's this?"

"That's Lady Lucy, Lord Gray's bride."

Natsu's eyes widened. "Bride?! You must be kidding!" He blinked before he laughed. "Man, to think that heartless bastard could actually bond with someone, a mortal no less."

I sighed softly, getting tired of hearing myself being labeled as that guy's bride.

"Lucy Heartfilia, at your service," I introduced with a stiff bow.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel, the Fire God. Pleased to meet you," he smiled and nodded his head in acknowledgement.

I smiled back. "And you as well."

"If that ice bastard gives you any trouble just come talk to me," Natsu said with a wink. He turned and brushed against Lisanna.

If I had blinked I would've missed it, but I saw it.

Natsu discreetly placed a note inside of Lisanna's palm as he walked away. Lisanna nonchalantly slipped it in her kimono with ease. I arched a brow with interest, as Lisanna looked no different except there seemed to be a glow about her. It just made me wonder what their relationship really was, but I had no right to get into lives.

"Well, we're close to your room," Lisanna said and moved along, and I followed.

A few seconds later, we came upon a door, and Lisanna opened it. I was about to go in when I noticed her lingering outside. She noticed my hesitation.

"Oh! I'm not permitted to be inside of guest's room quarters. So just make yourself comfortable, and if you need anything just call for me," Lisanna said and gently pushed me inside before closing the door.

Now I was all alone inside a huge room fit for a goddess. It reminded of how out of place and how homesick I felt. I wouldn't be able to ever visit The Encased Forest again or my family. I knew deep down that there wasn't a way I could get back; I was truly stuck her for eternity. But I had to deal with.

Not wanting to ruin the sheets or the bed, I collapsed on the floor with my damp clothes and shut my tired eyes. I heaved a sigh.

"Am I interrupting something?" a deep voice inquired.

"OH MY G–" I shot off the floor as I gripped my hand over my mouth to avoid Lisanna barging in. I let go and harshly inhaled and exhaled in fright, trying to regain my composure. I whirled around to where the voice came from.

Before me was a man looking five years older than I was. He leaned against the wall next to my window with an impassive yet analytical expression. He was _so _tall and muscular. Like bigger than Gray and Natsu and probably any other man here, and that was saying something. He had spiky blonde hair slicked back, though he had a few strands falls over his forehead, and his eyes were a stormy grey like the color of a thundercloud. What stood out to me the most was the lightning shaped scar over his right eye. He wore a grey kimono with darker grey designs of clouds with a few streaks of yellow here and there, and unlike Gray and Natsu, his kimono wasn't loose to show of his ridiculously toned chest.

"Oi, how can so much noise come out from a little mortal?" He stared at me as if I were some specimen of some kind.

I twitched as I heard the word _mortal _again. Did gods and goddesses have some kind of sixth sense to sniff out humans?

I glared at the man irritably. "What are you doing here? How'd you even get in?"

He arched a brow at me. "I'm a god. That kind of allows me to do anything." He shrugged. "Besides, I just wanted to see what the whole palace was buzzing about." He trained his stormy grey eyes on me. "The Bride of the Ice God."

After a moment, he gracefully pushed himself off the wall. "Name's Laxus Dreyar. I'm the Lightning God.

I just blankly stared at him while he stared back expectantly. I immediately flushed in embarrassment, realizing I was supposed to introduce myself.

"Lucy Heartfilia," I introduced with a bow.

He chuckled deeply. "Apparently, you've got a lot to learn around here. Guess I'll take it upon myself to help the needy mortal."

"Hey!" I protested. "I'm not needy. You make it sound like I'm flailing around like a dry fish!"

"Which you are. So let her answer some questions you may have. You don't object to that, do you?"

About to retort, my voice faltered. He was right. I was lost, and I needed help and some knowledge. I nodded, so I relaxed back onto the floor.

Wait a second…

"Her?!" I stood up. "There's someone else?!"

Laxus blinked and pointed behind me, and I immediately whirled around.

I gaped as I saw another figure sitting at my desk with a giant book in hand. An orange headband of some sort, which matched her vibrant orange kimono with light blue and silver designs, held her lavender-blue hair back. She looked much smaller than myself and about my age. A focused expression was on her face as her eyes zoomed across the words of the giant book. Overall, she looked cute and just huggable.

Laxus cleared his throat. "Levy."

The girl continued reading.

"Levy."

She glanced up. "What is it Laxus?"

He pointed to me. She looked over and blinked in surprise before slamming the book shut. She stood up with a bright smile.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. "I'm Levy Redfox, the Goddess of Knowledge. I came here specifically to answer any questions you may have."

I bowed. "Lucy Heartfilia."

Levy giggled. "I know; it's a pleasure to meet you. So what would you like to know?"

"What is bonding? And how come it happened to me?" I asked.

Levy hummed in thought. "Bonding is a natural process in the supernatural world. It helps decide whom we mate with and such. Bonding is a process of fate that tells us who our soul mate is. It can only happen to two specific people. From the moment you arrived here fate decided you to be bonded with Gray. So if you had touched Laxus' hand nothing would've happened. Another thing, bonding can happen whenever to the couple. It could happen when you first meet, like you and Gray. Or it can happen after marriage, after your first kiss, or after you have sex. It's spontaneous, really. Understand?"

"Yeah, but what does bonding do to the people who are bound together?"

"Well, it makes you more attuned to each other's presence. It's like a sixth sense, but only with your partner. You are more sensitive to their emotions, their thoughts, and the pain they feel. Bonding connects the minds together. However, because you and Gray just met, the bond isn't as strong as a couple that has been bonded for decades."

"Isn't it bad though? For him to bond to a mortal?" I asked tentatively.

"Well, yes," Levy frowned. "Mortals aren't always welcome to the Gods' Realm, that's the name of the supernatural world, if you were wondering. You see, mortals have a bad name around here. It's frowned upon to be bonded to a mortal or even befriend one. That's why Gray might have been eager to get you out of here."

My pride stung a little as a human.

"Well," I sighed, "I'm not exactly happy to be here either. Lady Cana said I was stuck here, but earlier she said she would help me find a way back, so I'm still hopeful."

"Nope," Laxus shook his head.

"What do you mean 'nope'?"

"He means that, since you and Gray are bonded, it changes everything. Cana can't send you back. I'm sorry, Lucy, but you're stuck here in the God's Realm," Levy said.

"Permanently?" I squeaked out.

"Pretty much," Laxus concluded.

My heart started thundering in my chest as I collapsed onto the floor.

So my gut feeling was right. I really was stuck here forever. I couldn't even think about. I began to pray but realized I was with the gods, and they were the reason I was in this mess. I hugged my knees to my chest as Laxus looked at me weirdly while Levy looked at me pitifully.

Levy wrapped her arms around me in an effort to comfort me, and I really appreciated it. Laxus on the other hand just shook his head and muttered, "Mortals…"

_Oh god, oh god, oh god…_

A soft knock came to the door snapping me out of my self-pity. Laxus looked at the door then turned back to me.

"It's Lisanna," he informed, and sure enough her voice chimed through the door.

"Lady Lucy, Lord Gray is now ready to see you!"

_OH GOD._

* * *

**_Hahaha, instead of studying for finals, I did this chappie for you guys :)_**

**_Chapter three will be coming out…some time… *shrugs*_**

**_And sorry about no GraLu moments here, this chapter was just focusing on her transition into the realm of the gods and her feelings and reactions and everything. The GraLu-ness shall now commence!_**


	3. Tradition

_**Fairy Tail doesn't belong to me and none of the characters either, sadly. AND THE PLOT BELONGS TO WRITER4EVERR. I ASKED HER IF I COULD USE THIS PLOT AND SHE SAID ****YES****!**_

_**Enjoy! :)**_

* * *

**The Bride of the Ice God**

**Chapter Three: Tradition**

* * *

Laxus smirked at my predicament, his stormy grey eyes glinting with pure amusement and smugness. "Guess that's my cue to leave," he said, straightening up.

"Unfortunately, I must leave as well," Levy added with a soft smile, her arms slipping off me. "I bet Gajeel's looking for me..."

"W-Who?" I asked.

"Gajeel Redfox, the God of Iron. He and I are bonded," Levy explained, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. "See you around, Lucy."

Before I could stop her, Levy vanished in the blink of an eye. Startled and scared of being left alone, I lunged at Laxus and hugged onto his arm in desperation. Said god took a step back in surprise, his eyes widening only a fraction.

"Nu-uh, no," I refused childishly with a vigorous shake of my head. "You're not leaving me alone! You've got to help me out!"

Laxus paused, probably contemplating my worth. I looked up at him and gave him a look of pure fear and desperation. The amusement never left his eyes, but they finally flashed with a little bit of sympathy before he sighed and closed them in resignation.

"Fine, I'll stay just for a bit," he finally said, and I let go of his arm with a sigh of relief.

Lisanna knocked once more at the door. "Lady Lucy, are you all right? May I come in?"

"Yes, you may," I responded.

The door opened to reveal Lisanna with a few beautiful kimonos in hand. She walked in but jumped in surprise when she saw Laxus. She immediately bowed respectfully.

"Lord Laxus! I had no idea that you were here! I apolo-"

"You're fine, Lisanna," Laxus cut her off with a crooked smile.

The white haired handmaiden rose from her graceful bow with a smile. Her face then lit up with urgency, as if to deliver a message. "Ah! I almost forget! Lady Cana has been looking for you," she informed. "She wishes to see you."

Laxus groaned in irritation, lifting a hand to scratch his head. "Man, that woman… Always nagging me to help her out."

My eyes widened when I saw his sleeve slip down his arm. There, on his wrist, was a crescent moon, identical to my own. Curiosity lit my face as I wondered who he was bonded to.

"Hey!" I blurted, pointing to his wrist. "You have one too?!"

Laxus blinked before his eyes followed my pointing finger to his wrist. Realization dawned in his eyes.

"Oh, you mean this?" He gestured to his mark.

I nodded.

"Yeah, I forgot to mention about it," Laxus chuckled. "It's no big deal. Half the people here are bonded as well."

I looked at Lisanna in disbelief, but she only smiled in agreement to what Laxus said.

"Yes, but people rarely show it off," she added. There was a slight pause before she turned to Laxus. "Er, Lord Laxus, if you excuse us, I have to get Lady Lucy ready for Lord Gray." She motioned to the kimonos in her arms.

"Of course," Laxus said. He turned to me and gave me a shrug with a smirk on his lips as if to say, 'Sorry, can't help you there.' I, in turn, casted him a withering glance as he disappeared out of the room in a flash of lightning - literally.

Feeling very much like a cornered mouse, I plopped onto my bed in defeat. The events of the day came like a tidal wave, and I suddenly felt exhausted, and I just wanted to sleep and wake up from this…reality.

Lisanna gently placed the kimonos on the bed and sat down next to me. She was silent for a moment before she placed a hand on my head and spoke. "I know you must be exhausted and feeling a bit miffed about your predicament, but…" She pulled me up into a sitting position and grabbed my hands into her hands with a apologetic, yet pleading gaze. "Lady Lucy, this is an important event. I need you to get ready or Lord Gray will be rather cross. This isn't to be taken lightly."

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly with closed eyes. My mind imagined that with every breath I let out, my stress did as well. The method worked as I suddenly felt lighter in a way, and I decided I wouldn't let my emotions run me down or anyone else. With a determined resolve, I smiled at Lisanna.

"Sorry for taking my stress out on you and everyone," I apologized sincerely. "Now what do you like me to do?"

Lisanna responded with a beaming smile. "Well, I picked a few kimonos that should be your size, but I couldn't exactly decide, which one to pick, so it's up to you to decide and dress."

"Hmm," I hummed in thought while gazing at the magnificent kimonos.

Instead of paying attention to details, I just went by color, so I wouldn't waste anymore time than necessary. Pink always happened to look good on me. Although, I really did like the blue and green one as well.

"I'll go with pink," I decided.

"Perfect!" Lisanna agreed, placing the beautiful apparel in my arms. "Thought so myself."

I stood there dumbly for a while. "U-Um…where do I?" I finally stuttered.

"Oh!" Lisanna clapped her hands. "I'm sorry. How silly of me!"

She grabbed me by the shoulders and guided me to a closet of some sort. She opened it and pushed me inside. I stumbled slightly before turning around to see Lisanna about to close the door.

"And if you need help with tying anything, I'll just be outside!"

"Uh…thank you," I said.

I turned back around to find myself blinded by a rainbow of colors. My eyes blinked rapidly to adjust to the sudden show of vibrant hues. Bright kimonos were neatly lined along the shelves and walls of the huge walk-in closet. The floor was made of marble, and I found myself shifting from one foot to the other because of how cold it was.

"Mother of god…" I whispered in awe.

Not bothering to get lost and explore the closet, I went right on to stripping myself of my wet clothes and neatly folding them and placing them in an unoccupied corner. Soft curses flew from my mouth as I struggled to put on the pink kimono properly. I fumbled with the red obi a bit before I remembered Lisanna was outside.

"Uh…Lisanna?" I called out hesitantly.

She responded immediately, flitting gracefully to my side. "Yes?"

"I hope you wouldn't mind tying the obi for me…"

"Not at all."

While standing there quietly and hearing the shuffling of clothing, I recalled her earlier interaction with Natsu. I felt a little mischievous smile grace my lips as I spoke, "So who exactly is Lord Natsu?"

Her hands stopped before she tied the obi in a bow. "Oh! Well, he's the Fire God, of course," she said with a slightly higher voice than normal. "He's extremely kind yet fierce, and he is best friends with Lord Gray, although they may not necessarily show it, but yes…" she trailed off. I didn't need to turn around to know she was blushing.

When Lisanna tied the knot securely, I asked, "I'm curious. Who exactly is Lord Laxus bound to?"

Lisanna didn't falter that time, but her voice dropped to a quiet whisper. "Well, it really isn't my place to say anything… I'm only a lowly maid after all. But…he's bound to Lady Cana," she finished.

"Really?!"

"You shan't tell him I said anything."

"My lips are sealed," I said with a giggle.

"Good," Lisanna smiled. "Now, before we go, we need to clean you up."

"Huh, but I'm ready to go."

"Not yet, you aren't. Your hair is all wet and your face is grimy." She held my chin between in between her thumb and index finger, scrutinizing me. "No, you're not ready at all. And we only have a few minutes! Seems like I'll have to use some magic…" she murmured in thought.

I paled. "Use what?"

Lisanna motioned for me to be quiet, and then extending her palm in front of me so that her palm was facing me. She shut her eyes, and her brows scrunched down in concentration. Suddenly, a bright golden light formed in a…magic circle?, and the air shuddered and warmed around me before it circled me. The warm air rested on my face and then was gone almost as soon as it had been there. Lisanna nodded in satisfaction as she saw her handiwork.

"You really are very pretty," she complimented.

"Uh, thanks…"

Lisanna only giggled and turned me to face the mirror. And then I saw what her magic had done.

My hair, instead of being a wet mop, was now dry and soft to the touch. My soft tresses cascaded down to my mid-back and bounced and swayed whenever I turned my head or walked. My skin was no longer grimy but clean and radiant. I poked my cheeks to see if it was real.

"Lady Lucy, rest assured, it's real."

"What did you do?" I asked in amazement.

"Magic," she responded simply with a shrug.

"Can everybody do that?"

"Well…" Lisanna thought. "Everybody uses magic in different ways. Some use it in incantations, but gods and goddesses are born with their magic, which affiliates to what they are in control of, and have complete supremacy over their latent talent. Since I am a handmaiden, I am restricted in the magic I use because handmaidens are really only borrowing from a god or goddesses' power, so we can't do anything powerful, but for some reason I have the ability to shift."

"Shift?" I echoed.

"Yes, or morph," Lisanna nodded. "It's a rare form of magic and takes years to master. And by years, I mean centuries. It's when you're able to immerse your entire body in magic and mutate your cells so that you can shift into any creature you would like. Many don't attempt it because the inexperienced often encounter unfortunate accidents. Of course, gods and goddesses have their symbolic animal that they can transform into, but that's nothing compared to shifting."

"Wow..." I said in awe.

"That's enough about the supernatural world. I really need to get you to Lord Gray," Lisanna said, pulling my hand anxiously.

I grumbled but realized that I wanted to see Gray again. And that freaked me out a bit. Just a little bit. I couldn't believe I wanted to see that jerk. I mused that thought for a bit and then came back to reality to see Lisanna looking at me impatiently.

"Let's go!" she stressed with another tug on my hand.

I nodded and followed her footsteps as she strode out of my room and back on the main staircase. My bare feet padded against the velvet carpet as I struggled to keep up with her nimble movements. We traveled up a few more flights until we reached a floor that was completely black in every aspect with maybe a hint of dark blue, but I couldn't really tell. Black tiled floors, painted black walls with dark gray painting hanging under dim lights. There was only one set of grand doors that seemed to be made out of stygian iron. It was pretty impressive, especially the black stygian sphinxes that sat on both sides of the doors on pedestals. I approached a bit hesitantly because I was intimidated by the black iron doors and sphinxes, but Lisanna was unfazed by it all.

The sphinxes heads followed our movements, and that's when I realized they were _alive_. Suppressing a screech, I hid behind Lisanna. The sphinxes jumped off the pedestals and circled us.

_"So this is the girl. She's a fine beauty,"_ one spoke and sounded male.

_"A mortal? Very interesting indeed," _the other spoke, female this time.

Lisanna bowed. "Yes, this is Lady Lucy. Lord Gray has requested her presence."

_"My, my, sweet Lisanna, you should know the drill." _They spoke in unison, one female and the other male, and the rhythm of their voices was almost hypnotizing because they perfectly balanced each other. _"If you do not answer correctly, then you shall not pass. Answer incorrectly, and we shall feast on your flesh."_

I shivered, shrinking further behind Lisanna.

"Always hate this," Lisanna muttered under her breath.

The glee was evident on the sphinxes faces. They settled in front of the doors and slowly voiced together simultaneously:

_"What is more powerful than the gods?_

_More evil than the demons?_

_Every poor man has it._

_Every rich man needs it._

_And if you eat it you will die."_

I smirked as the answer came to me really easily. As a child, my mother would often present me riddles as a little game between us. I had grown to think methodically, although, this one didn't require much thought. Feeling quite confident, I responded.

"Nothing."

Even though the eyes of the sphinxes were only stygian iron, I could see them light up with…something.

_"Well done, well done. How about another?"_ They sang together.

Lisanna shook her head. "She answered the riddle. That grants us passage!"

The sphinxes frowned, but made their way back to there pedestals. The giant doors automatically opened before us. About to enter, I asked, "No more sphinxes?"

"No more sphinxes," Lisanna said.

"Thank goodness," I sighed in relief. "They weren't going seriously eat us, were they?"

"Of course not. They serve under Lord Gray, so they know who there enemy is and who isn't. They love to give riddles anyway, but it's a good security system."

"Very smart," I agreed.

We stepped in through the doors, and they ominously shut behind us. It was pitch black, and I couldn't see my hand even if it wasn't in front of my face. Lisanna huffed in annoyance, and with another gold magic circle, the lights came on and stayed on. The hallway illuminated to show that straight down the hall were another set of iron stygian doors. We reached the end of the hallway, and Lisanna knocked cautiously on the door.

"Lord Gray, it's Lisanna. I'm with Lady Lucy."

"Come in," his deep, velvet voice reverberated through the entire passageway, sending tingles down my spine.

"Gray, I would like to know the reason why I was not told she was coming," a female voice demanded.

"Settle down, Ultear," a softer female voice said with a giggle.

I was unable to hear Gray's answer because I saw Lisanna instantly stiffen upon hearing the two female voices. She turned to me and placed her hands on my shoulders. Her face was set in a stern expression.

"Do not anger those women in the room," she hissed quietly. "Got it?"

I nodded in understanding and couldn't help but gulp in fear as well. Were these goddesses extremely powerful? Did they have a temper that could shake the Earth? I shivered at the thought.

Lisanna pushed the door open, and we stepped into the room. I looked around as we were in a library of some sort, and boy, was it impressive.

Shelves lined along the walls filled with various books, and there were giant bookcases standing on the middle of the room, creating isles for those who wish to scan and browse to find a book. There was even a section for scrolls in on part of the library. The floor was a black marble with gold mixed in there. A modest chandelier, compared to the giant one I saw earlier, hung beautifully in the center of the library.

My eyes scanned across the room with amazement, and they eventually landed on Gray, who happened to be watching me with frustration and some interest. He wore the same clothes from earlier, and I immediately felt self-conscious because I realized yet once again how insanely gorgeous he was. I cursed inwardly and stood up straighter. It was then that my eyes came across the two goddesses in the room.

The one on Gray's right, had the same almost-black, raven hair, except it took on more a purple hue in the light. It was placed in an elegant bun on her head with decorative chopsticks holding it together. Her hair elegantly contrasted with her pale skin, and lastly, she had brown eyes. She wore a beautiful purple kimono with silver designs and embroidery, which only added to her authoritative and elegant presence.

On the other hand, the woman on Gray's left was completely different. She had long, snow white hair, which curled at the ends and the vibrant crystal blue eyes. Her hair was let down naturally, but with her bangs held in a cute upward ponytail. She adorned a black kimono embroidered with a few white lilies and red poppies. Despite the fact that she was wearing black, she had a bright smile on her face, and she seemed extremely nice and motherly.

Lisanna nudged me in the ribs. I focused back to see Gray and the two mystery woman watching us. Lisanna's sister stared at me curiously with pursed lips while the other goddess had an unreadable expression.

Lisanna broke the silence with her trademark bow. "Lady Ultear, Lady Mira, I did not expect for you both to be here. I trust your trip was pleasant?" she inquired conversationally.

Mira smiled radiantly. "Yes, it was. Thank you, Lisanna. But who is this lovely mortal before us?"

I swallowed hard. _Please don't kill me. _Stepping forward beside Lisanna, I mimicked her bow and introduced myself with a wary smile.

"My name is Lucy Heartfilia. And who might you be?"

I felt Lisanna cringe beside me, and I knew that what I said wasn't the correct thing to say. I grit my teeth together and held my composure. Tension filled the air, and then I was thrown of when she grinned at me, her eyes beaming.

"You're perfect!" she stated. She rushed forward to examine me. She held a tendril of my hair and admired it. "Very nice hair," she murmured. And then she encircled my waist with her hands. She nodded in appreciation, "A slim waist."

I blushed while she continued doing her evaluation, and I saw Gray roll his eyes and shake his head while Lady Ultear was smiling in amusement. But the white-haired goddess took no notice and continued her critique. Lady Ultear then decided to come to us. She stepped beside Mira and scrutinized me briefly before a pleasant smile graced her lips.

"Yes, yes," Mira said. "Very perfect indeed."

"I agree," Ultear spoke. "My brother is very fortunate to have you."

"Y-Your brother?!" I choked in disbelief. I gazed at Gray in bewilderment. "She's your sister?"

"Unfortunately," he replied.

A vain throbbed on Ultear's forehead, and she whirled around to face her brother. "Watch your mouth!" she snarled. I shot a smirk to Gray to which he responded with an icy glare. His sister turned back to me with a smile and said, "But yes, I am that ungrateful boy's sister."

"Oh, dear me!" Mira exclaimed. "I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Mirajane Justine, but everyone just calls me Mira!"

"And I'm Ultear Fernandes, but please don't call me Lady Ultear, just Ultear will be fine. Your practically my sister now, so don't be afraid to ask me anything."

Gray sighed. "Ultear, we're not even married. And she is a…mortal."

"Gray!" his sister reprimanded sharply. "Mom did not raise us to be a prejudiced ignorant!"

"And you two are perfect for each other whether you like it or not," Mira added with a stern face.

I glared at the ice god before turning back to Ultear. "Well, if you insist," - I looked at Gray with a smile - "Ultear," I replied sweetly, and I took the pleasure of watching Gray's eye twitch in annoyance.

Ultear's eyes lit up with satisfaction. "That sounds perfect. I've always wanted a sister, you see, but I got this idiot and our father."

"And now you bring up that bastard as well…" Gray muttered darkly.

As Ultear turned to fire upon her brother once again, Mira took over. "Well, we would all love to get to know you better, and since you'll be here for the rest of eternity I suggest you make yourself comfortable!" she finished cheerily.

I blanched and my voice came out weakly. "I-I thought Gray was going to send me back as soon as possible?"

Mira shook her head. "Nonsense! We won't turn you away! Fate has decreed you and Gray be together. That means you _will _be together," she stated firmly. "In fact, Ultear and I agreed and have arranged for you to be in Gray's room. I think it'll be good for you and Gray to spend more time together."

"O-Okay…" I stuttered. My eyes suddenly widened as what she said finally registered clearly. "Wait, WHAT?!" I nearly yelled. "You mean like sleeping together?" My face was scarlet as that thought settled in my head. "But we just met! Aren't you being a _bit _hasty?"

"Just wait a minute," Gray's voice commanded angrily. "Ultear! You didn't discuss any of this."

Ultear sighed. "Calm down you two! You guys won't have sex or anything."

"Well, not right away, of course," Mira giggled while winking at me, and I nearly fainted.

"We just want you to be in the same room," Ultear finished.

I calmed down a bit after hearing that. "Okay, that's better then," I agreed. "So will they set up like, a futon for me or something?"

Mira threw her head back back in laughter, and I swear tears were coming out of her eyes. "Don't be silly! You will have to sleep in the same bed, of course."

"It's also a tradition of bonding," Ultear added matter-of-factly.

"Tradition?" I echoed numbly.

Gray and I locked eyes with each other. His were unreadable, but I guessed that he was frustrated and just wanted to get rid of me while I, on the other hand, couldn't even think straight at the moment. I was just a confused and homesick mortal that just wanted the Ice God to unfreeze my village. But no, Fate had decided that I'm bonded to Gray, and I'm stuck here…forever.

I pouted and turned from Gray to Lisanna, who was as silent as ever beside me. She only flashed me a smile of encouragement. I weakly smiled back, but the way Ultear said it was tradition was like it was logical to sleep in the same bed as a god. But sleeping with the handsome Ice God on the first day you meet him is not the most logical thing to do, tradition or not.

Thinking this wouldn't get any worse, it dawned on me I was only here for one day.

* * *

**_And that's chapter three! _**

**_Anyway, everyone, GraLu is quickly approaching! September 1-7 for those who want to participate! I think I will as well x3 It'll be tons of fun._**

**_Thanks for reading! Until next time!_**


	4. Misunderstanding

_**Fairy Tail doesn't belong to me and none of the characters either, sadly. AND THE PLOT BELONGS TO WRITER4EVERR. I ASKED HER IF I COULD USE THIS PLOT AND SHE SAID ****YES****!**_

_**Before I start, I just wanted to share with all of you I saw the cutest animation by famous Disney animator Glen Keane. It really made my day. Look it up and watch! It's amazing and just adorable! It's called Duet by Glen Keane. WATCH IT. And tell me what you all think. I thought it was simply beautiful and touching.**_

_**Anyway... Enjoy! :)**_

* * *

**The Bride of the Ice God**

**Chapter Four: Misunderstanding**

* * *

After that terrifying moment of realization, I had tried to avoid Gray...er Lord Gray for the rest of the day, which proved to be a lot easier than I initially thought. The palace was ridiculously large and had several floors and rooms, which just made it easy to hide from an angry Ice God. Lisanna accompanied me throughout my one-sided game of hide-and-seek; she flitted around me, occasionally telling me not to enter a passageway here and there and then guiding me safely down the confusing flights of stairs that seemed to randomly appear. I questioned Lisanna about the magical staircases, but she only laughed and said that I would get used to them over time. In response, I just grimly looked at her.

At one point while meandering throughout the – what was it? – the eleventh floor, I asked Lisanna curiously, "You said your sister became the Goddess of Death, but I would think there would have been one before her."

"Yes," Lisanna answered. "Emperor Zeref was the God of Death, but he passed the position to my sister. Another thing was that he became bonded to Empress Mavis, Goddess of Life, so he had to give it up anyway because he became Emperor. He is now the God of Judgement."

I raised a brow at her. "Why did he give it up?"

"It made him miserable," Lisanna explained. "He had a hard time controlling his chaotic powers and would accidentally wipe out cities and towns with plague or some sort of destruction. It was when Mira became bonded, which upped her status from handmaiden to goddess that Zeref and Mavis decided to give the job to her. My sister is kind and merciful to those who have outlived their lives. She also has the heart to send people to their afterlives. Most importantly, she has control."

I could only smile to see how proud Lisanna was of Lady Mira...er Mira, I mean.

"When did this all happen?"

Lisanna laughed. "Oh, a _long _time ago. Zeref became Emperor way before Mira, I mean, Lady Mira bonded, so he held onto the position of being the Death God loosely until someone suitable could take it. That just happened to be a long while later when my sister became bonded."

"What about Ultear? Is she bonded?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Once again, not really in my place to say," Lisanna said in a whisper, "but she is bonded to Siegrain Fernandes."

"Oh," I said, recognizing that name the shaman of Hargeon always talked about. "One of the Twin Gods of Space?"

"Correct," Lisanna nodded.

"They don't seem to have a really good relationship with each other," I commented.

Lisanna hummed. "You mean Lord Gray and Lady Ultear?"

"Yes."

She chuckled cutely. "It does seem that way, doesn't it? In truth, they are very close to each other because they only have each other left from their family. They just do not like to show it publicly, or rather, Lord Gray doesn't like to show it. It actually took him time to warm up to her when he first became the Ice God because they are half-siblings. Now, it's all right. They just have different views on...mortals..."

I winced and fiddled with the sleeve of my kimono in slight discomfort at that. I cleared my throat. "So they had the same mother or...?"

"No, they had the same father but a different mother."

"But..." I furrowed my brows. "Bonding?"

Lisanna smiled wryly. "Ah, yes bonding," she sounded a little bitter. "It's a long story..."

"Apparently, I'm going to be here for eternity, so why not?" I suggested.

"True enough, and you deserve to know since you are Lord Gray's bride and bonding mate."

I wasn't used to that. Just thinking of the words bonding, mate, and bride made me blush and extremely nervous and shy. I chewed on my bottom lip and casted my eyes to the ground. I heard Lisanna giggle, and I could only cover my face with my hands and slightly groan at the world.

"Come, come," Lisanna gestured with a smile. "Let's find somewhere to talk."

We entered the library where I first met Ultear and Mira. This time it was empty, and it was only the two of us. We were lucky we didn't have to face those creepy sphinxes. Apparently, they were on break or something. I suddenly imagined the two obsidian sphinxes horsing around and trying to catch a mouse while bantering to each other in rhymes. An amused smile graced my lips.

I followed Lisanna to a comfortable table, and we sat ourselves down. We had a nice view of the palace grounds from the window, and I couldn't help but admire how beautiful everything was.

Lisanna giggled. "I know, very pretty, isn't it?"

I could only hum in response as the setting sun illuminated the palace with an array of various colors. It made the palace glitter in a sort of way.

My eyes widened in realization. "It's already the end of the day?"

Lisanna could only laugh. "Yes, Lady Lucy. You spent most of your time trying to hide yourself from Lord Gray. You were most focused, and you were also distracted by the beauty of the palace."

I only blushed in response.

"My goodness, you're just so adorable," Lisanna gushed. "You're such a contrast to Lord Gray that I can't help but see you both as a perfect couple."

"Hey, now," I said. "Let's not get too ahead..."

"Right," Lisanna said with a smile. "Now, more about Lord Gray..."

I repositioned myself in my chair more comfortably and zoned in on Lisanna.

"Well, um, Lord Gray," Lisanna began. She hesitated. "I really feel I shouldn't be telling you this."

"Oh no!" I said. "That's all right. You don't have to go too into detail or anything if that makes you feel better."

Lisanna gave a strained smile. "It's all right. You should know." She cleared her throat. "Well, his father was a demon and wasn't thought too highly in the realm of the gods. Silver is...er was his name. Before Lord Gray was even born, Lady Ur was the Goddess of Ice. She and Silver fell in love, yet they were not bonded, and he was a demon anyway, so they had a bastard child..."

"Ultear?" I guessed in a whisper.

The white-haired handmaiden simply nodded. "As punishment, Lady Ur was banished to Earth to live amongst the mortals. Her powers and immortality as a goddess were not stripped because there was no one suitable to take her position. She left Ultear in the care of the Empress as a final wish and prayed to her that she would not be treated harshly." Lisanna smiled. "Her wish was fulfilled, and Ultear successfully became the Goddess of Time. Ur left and was never heard or seen from again for centuries. As for Silver, well, he...he went back to where he came from."

"From...?"

"From Hell," Lisanna finished grimly. "The deepest, darkest pit of Hell: Tartarus."

I gulped, and Lisanna continued.

"But some time later, a mortal caught his eye, and he went to see her in the mortal world. Rare as it might be, the demon and mortal bonded upon first touch. Her name was Mika, I believe."

"Gray's mother?" I asked.

"Yes," Lisanna nodded with a sad smile. "I heard she was such a kind and compassionate lady." She looked out the window almost like she were searching for something. It was as if she became distant and was lost in memories of the past. "Anyway, they had Gray, but their happiness did not last long. Because of Silver's affiliation with Tartarus, they sent a demon to kill him and his family. They can't stand traitors."

"Traitor?" Lucy whispered.

"I believe they were angry Silver left them, for a human nonetheless. They also didn't want to risk any information leaking out about them because of him," Lisanna replied in the same tone. "So, Deliora, one of the many demons in Tartarus, killed Silver and Mika, but Lord Gray survived."

"How...?"

"Lady Ur appeared and killed it." Lisanna smiled softly. "That's when she found Lord Gray, who was only seven at the time, and apparently, her powers at that moment were transferred to him even though he was half-demon, half-human. Her powers that transferred to him killed his humanity, but in return gave him immortality and enhanced his ice powers he inherited from his father since he was an ice demon. Thus, Lord Gray became the God of Ice, and the most powerful one at that."

Lucy cast her eyes down to the ground.

"And with what little time Lady Ur had left," Lisanna continued, "she taught him everything she knew in a village somewhere where the mountains touched the sky. But because of what they were, Lord Gray and Ur were driven to isolation up in the mountains because the mortals treated them terribly. In the end, they weren't to blame because they were scared of the desolation Deliora had caused, but Lord Gray was half-demon and half-god, so they couldn't help but fear him as well. Can you now understand why Lord Gray is hesitant to be happy about his bonding?" Lisanna finally asked softly.

"He's scared, he's angry, he's confused," I said quietly.

"Yes." Lisanna gave a tiny smile. "His mother, being human, brought misfortune. And yes, the hatred he felt from humans because of what he was, and the fact they killed his mentor, Ur. Since she was no longer immortal, she perished. I can't imagine how he is feeling right now since everything he feels toward humans must be disregarded when it comes to you because you are his and he is yours."

_No_, was the first thought that entered my mind. I was _not his_, and he _was not mine_. I just wanted to go home, go back to the normal life that I had with my parents. I wondered how my mother was doing with her sickness. I wondered how my father was coping. I wondered if they would be okay. Yet...guilt overwhelmed me when I heard Gray's story. I couldn't say anything; I was speechless. I realized I would have to apologize and ask for forgiveness, that is, if my stubbornness didn't get in the way. But...in the end, I was mortal, so I shouldn't even be here.

"All of this just gives me the more reason to leave," I murmured.

"It's been a millennium, Lady Lucy," Lisanna said. "He just needs time to think."

"If you say so..." I sighed.

Lisanna stood up from the comfy chair in the library. She looked outside the window, and I followed her gaze. The first thing I noticed was it was dark outside, meaning only one thing.

Bedtime.

"It's best I take you back to Lord Gray's room, Lady Lucy," Lisanna suggested with a warm, encouraging smile.

"No, no, really! It's all right!" I waved my hands and shook my head.

But the pretty handmaiden wouldn't take no for an answer and practically had to forcibly drag me through the palace to Gray's room. I was slowly dying on the inside because it wasn't as simple as moving far away as I could and staying frozen on the pillow until morning. It was hard for me to fall asleep. I was a night person. Back at home, I would sometime go outside down to the port and sit on a pier and just gaze at the numerous stars up in the sky that seemed to call my name. I would close my eyes and let the soft Hargeon breeze sway my hair and caress my face, and I would remember how I would sit there with my mother countless nights as she taught me the story of the stars and names of constellations. Thing was, I wasn't home. I was going to be in a god's bed.

Lisanna guided me to a shower where she bathed me in a relaxing hot spring, but I was tense the entire time and kept looking around me cautiously. She tried to soothe me, but it did nothing for my nerves. Out of annoyance or tiredness, maybe even both, Lisanna sighed.

"I'll be right back."

I was left in the bathtub to my own thought, which I did not appreciate. I felt like a caged animal: restless, cautious, unsure, etc. The hot spring really should have done wonders, but there was no way I would be able to relax. Being in a god's bed was one thing, but it was also because I knew too much about him while he knew nothing of me. It hardly seemed fair and made me uncomfortable. The one thing I was most worried about was even moving. Holy shit, like, I hope he wouldn't kill me before I slipped to the library or garden or whatever.

"Here, take this."

My eyes snapped to Lisanna to see she was holding a cup of...tea? She handed it to me. I glanced at her speculatively then stared into the contents of the elaborately decorated tea cup. The scent of chamomile and rosemary wafted into my nose. I smiled, feeling myself relax, even if it was only a smidgen.

"Thank you," I said sincerely, knowing she was trying to help me.

She nodded with a tiny smile of her own.

Once I finished the cup of tea, I was going to start washing my hair when she attacked me with a sponge. I yelped as she started vigorously washing my body and my hair. I whined, saying I could do it myself, but she kept saying it was her duty to prepare me.

"But, it's not like it's my wedding night," I protested weakly.

Lisanna chuckled. "Who knows!"

My cheeks burned. "Lisanna!"

Some time later, she dressed me in a lighter more comfortable form of a kimono called a nemaki. It was a nice shade of lavender with a white petal pattern on it. My hair was simply let down and cascaded down my back, settling at my hips. I looked at myself, turning this way and that, appreciating how snuggly and comfily it fit on me.

"This is incredible," I complimented in awe.

"They are, aren't they?" she said, giggling. "We should go now. I wouldn't like to keep Lord Gray waiting."

I nodded and followed Lisanna to Gray's room. We rushed along until we came face to face with Gray's quarters. The double doors were huge and had me intimidated just by looking up at them. I gulped softly. Lisanna placed a hand on my back to comfort me.

"It'll be all right," she whispered reassuringly. "Really, Lord Gray isn't that bad at all. Maybe a little cold sometimes, but...you'll be just fine."

She opened the door for me. I nodded in thanks before entering. I immediately shivered, surprised at the sudden chill in the air despite the summer weather in the realm of the gods. I noticed Gray was not here as I hugged myself and rubbed my arms. I looked around the room, impressed. The room was vast. It was so spacious that I felt there was missing furniture. I nearly fainted when I saw there was a huge king-sized bed; it had navy blue satin sheets and pillows. There were a few bookcases filled with various sizes and genres of books (obviously), and in between the large bookcases was a desk with paperwork and several other seemingly important documents that I knew I shouldn't mess with. But guess what I did? Yup, I went over there and looked at his stuff. I couldn't help it: I was curious.

It was boring, really. Nothing exciting or confidential as I thought it would be here in the land of the gods. It was just menial stuff to keep the palace running smoothly and letters being sent to other palaces. He had a detail scheduled of the winter, and it looked like he was about to write a letter before he was probably interrupted by something. I felt my throat suddenly dry when I saw _Hargeon _written on a piece of paper underneath the letter. I slipped it from under the letter.

_Gray,_

_I beg you to please unfreeze the Hargeon Sea. Too many civilians, especially children, are dying. Their crops are being frozen over, and they have no chance of surviving any longer if you keep this up. Violence and corruption has spread through the town. I was shocked to see it was a harsher winter then normal, but it never ceased when it should have been spring or summer. I know that you we gods can get in moods but wiping a village is unprecedented and uncalled for. I know Juvia loves you, but she is upset at how much sea life you have destroyed. It has been raining nonstop in Oak Town, Clover Town, Shirotsume, Oshibana, and several others. As Empress, I demand you to fix this immediately. As the Goddess of Life, I beg you not to let anything or anyone perish._

_Empress Mavis _

My body was trembling. I only knew that much. I didn't enough time to decipher all the mess of emotions I felt because I heard voices and footsteps outside. I wouldn't have moved if it weren't for the fact that the mark on my hand was tingling. I briskly out everything back to where it was on Gray's desk and made my way toward the large bed and slipped under the satin covers on the left side of the bed closest to the balcony doors. I shut my eyes and curled into a ball and refused to let tears slip from my eyes. The adrenaline had my heart thunderously beating in my chest. I could hear it in my ears. The problem was I couldn't settle down. Not with what I just read.

The doors opened, and I heard Natsu quite well.

"You need to hurry up and send that letter to the Empress," he said.

I could almost feel Gray glare at him. "Of course," he replied dryly. "I would've finished and sent it by now if I wasn't interrupted by you and Mira calling me for something _important_, which really just happened to be a twelve-hour course of _How to Treat a Mortal Kindly 101_."

"Hey!" Natsu exclaimed defensively. "That is completely mandatory for you now, you know. You'll be thanking us!"

"No, Natsu," Gray refuted icily. "As a matter of fact, it was completely useless to me as I have neither the intention to woo her nor befriend her in any possible way."

_Same here, buddy, _I thought sardonically with a frown etched on my face.

Natsu voice suddenly took a serious tone. "Gray, she is your other half, and you are hers. That's the end of it."

"No, it's not. One, she's a mortal. Two, she doesn't even want to be here. Three, there is hardly any chance of her becoming immortal anyway. The damn plant pretty much kills everyone that tries to," Gray reasoned logically.

The Fire God remained silent. There was a tense pause before he sighed and changed the subject. "So what are you going to tell Mavis? Because what you told me seems pretty far-fetched. You're the only one with ice powers here. You are the God of Ice after all."

I raised my brow in surprise at this. Somehow, it made me feel slightly relieved.

"I'm telling you," Gray growled lowly. "It wasn't me. There was no reason for me to freeze the Hargeon into an uninhabitable tundra. I'm not an idiot to get on the Empress's bad side either. The only other possible person who could have done this would be my father or Ur."

"Neither are alive though..."

"I know," Gray snapped. "That's why I already tried to unfreeze it, but I can't because I haven't done anything."

"...Then who?"

Gray sighed tiredly. "I don't know."

_Oh my god_, I was the only thing that came to my mind. It was a whole misunderstanding! I immediately assumed he was a murderer and everything my hometown went through was his fault when, in fact, it wasn't. My mother always told me to never jump to conclusions because at the end of the day we never know. I almost let out a groan, realizing I would have made a huge fool of myself and made the Ice God even meaner if I accused him head-on.

"Anyway, have fun with your soulmate!" Natsu laughed warmly. It was suddenly interrupted by a sharp cry of pain. "You ice prick, what the hell was that for?!"

"For being an idiot, flame-brain," Gray coolly replied before shutting the door to a very displeased Natsu.

I would have laughed at their childish name-calling because they were centuries old, but I was trying to pretend to be asleep here. I heard Gray sigh, but he suddenly stopped short when he saw me. At least, I thought so because I could feel his intense stare on my still form. If it was even possible, he sighed even harder.

"Great..."

I inadvertently pouted, feeling even worse. I peeked open an eye to see his back was turned to me. He pulled out his chair from the desk and began writing the letter, which I presumed was to Empress Mavis about what he just talked about with Natsu. I closed my eyes again and actually tried to fall asleep despite the futile attempt. I counted sheep for some time before giving up and just concentrating on the scratching of Gray's pen on paper. It wasn't until maybe a good ten to fifteen minutes later when he was done. I once again opened an eye to see he was folding it and putting it in an envelope.

"Jet, Messenger of the Gods, the Ice God beckons you," Gray called out formally.

Out of nowhere, a man with spiky orange hair appeared. He was dressed in a grey kimono that hung loosely on him. I would've gasped at the site of his sandals, but I managed to hold it in. His shoes! They had freaking _wings_ on them! It wasn't just some cool decoration. They literally _flapped_.

Gray handed him the envelope. "I need you to deliver this to the Empress as soon as possible."

"No problem," Jet replied. "I'm not the fastest god for nothing."

Then, just like that, he disappeared as fast as he came. Gray sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose thinking for a moment before traveling over to his closest. He started stripping of his elaborate kimono and fished out a simple yukata. Guess what color it was? You guessed correctly. Blue. Surprise, surprise.

And suddenly his naked back was revealed to me, and I have never been so impressed. My cheeks were a bright red as I took in his broad shoulders and muscular back. _Hot damn_, I thought when I saw the muscles in his back and shoulders. I clenched my teeth, rolled over, and shut my eyes tightly, praying I wouldn't do something stupid during my stay here.

I screamed inwardly when I felt the bed give a little. _Stupid tradition_, I cursed in my mind. Forcing myself to relax was no easy feat, but I was at least able to stabilize my breathing.

"Off," Gray commanded. With his simple command, the lights in his bedroom turned off.

The sheets shuffled, and I assumed he slipped himself under the satin sheets. There was a bit more shuffling for him before he found his comfortable spot. I barely peaked open an eye to see he was at the edge of the bed with his back turned, keeping his distance from me. I had to admit it did hurt for some reason. I mean, I wasn't that bad, was I? ...I just had to remember he didn't like mortals for a reason, and like he said... It really doesn't matter because I wasn't going to stay. On the other, it seemed like everyone else weren't going to allow me to leave.

My eyes opened fully in the darkness. I stared tiredly at his back and raven hair. For some reason, I could tell he wasn't sleeping. Great. There went my opportunity to escape to the balcony to gaze at the stars. I just had to be patient. I tried convincing myself that maybe he would fall asleep soon, but it was a futile attempt. So, I just ended up snuggling deeper into the pillow and sheets and closing my eyes to attempt sleep.

I don't know how long I slept or whatever. All I really remember was I was opening and closing my eyes every now and then because of a nightmare, but every time I opened my eyes, they felt like lead. I couldn't keep them open. When I tried, they would just close anyway. One thing I remembered from that particular night was one of the few times I opened my eyes, I saw his midnight blue eyes narrowed at me. They held a sense of detachment yet also something akin to...fascination.

Probably thinking I wouldn't possibly hear him or remember any of this, he whispered to me, "You can't be her..."

I _gladly_ let the darkness of sleep take me. The stars would have to wait for another time.

* * *

_**So...I tried to put this up yesterday, but the site was down for some maintenance reason or something, but here you go. I was actually planning to put up a one-shot for GrayLu Day 1 - Myth yesterday as well, but the damn website was being weird and didn't save any of my work. But I'll post it up some time later as well as Day 2: Tattoo.**_

_**Anyway, thanks a bunch for sticking around, and I hope you enjoyed the update!**_


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